Purdy good game

BARSTOW — Barstow slugger Taylor Purdy said she understands how to take advantage of the hard-surfaced Silverado softball outfield, which doesn't have a fence behind it.

"If you hit it hard, it just goes," said Purdy. "I mean I don't focus on hitting the hole. I just hit it hard."

Purdy hit two home runs and the go-ahead two-run double in the seventh on Tuesday to lift the Aztecs past the Hawks 13-11 to clinch their third straight Desert Sky League title.

Barstow (17-10, 9-2 DSL) entered the game having already clinched a share of its third DSL title, but Silverado (11-7, 6-5 DSL) had a chance to tie the Aztecs and clinch the league's No. 1 playoff berth if it could have beat them on Tuesday and then again on Thursday.

The Hawks entered the game two games back of first and in a three-way tie for second place with Victor Valley and Burroughs. Silverado is now tied with Victor Valley for third place after the Jackrabbits lost to Burroughs 7-1. If the standings remain the same, the Hawks hold the tiebreaker over Victor Valley and would earn the playoff berth. If they end up in a three-way tie again, a coin flip would determine the final standings.

Purdy -- the A ztecs' leadoff hitter -- started the game with a low line drive down the left field line that kept on going and she rounded the bases for a home run. She blasted a shot into the right-field gap that ended up stopping in the baseball diamond's infield for another home run in the fourth.

Her game-winning dou- ble in the seventh was the 29th double of her career, which puts her tied for 10th in CIF-Southern Section history. Purdy finished the game 3-for-4 with five RBIs and four runs scored and now has a league-leading eight home runs and 36 RBIs.

"You want her to walk, because we trust Miranda (Peralta) behind her," Barstow coach Richard Johanssen said. "But you know she's the one that hits them. She drives them in. ...When Taylor comes up to bat with runners on, we like that."

Purdy wasn't the only one hitting for power on Tuesday as the two teams combined for seven home runs, and both teams scored in every inning. The game saw four lead changes.

Barstow's Peralta and Aleesha Rodriguez also blasted home runs, while Silverado's Angelica Nino matched Purdy with two home runs and Kristin Lopez added to the tally with one of her own.

"We battled," Silverado coach Brian Jensen said. "We did what we could. I'm proud of my girls, we didn't give up. We fought back...and my hat's off to my team for their efforts. Maybe there was a time in the middle where I blew for not changing some stuff. I take ownership on that."

Silverado tied up the game at 10 in the bottom of the sixth with three runs behind Lopez's solo shot and help from two Barstow errors. The Hawks had a chance to do more damage when the Aztecs elected to walk Alexis Conant to load the bases, but Barstow pitcher Hannah Ulibarri struck out pinch hitter Melissa Thompson to get out of the jam.

Barstow, ranked ninth in this week's CIF-Southern Section Division 5 poll, will look to make a deep playoff run with seven starters who have played on all three of the DSL title teams.

The Aztecs committed four errors and allowed two runs to come home on wild pitches on Tuesday, and that's something Johanssen pointed out that they need to improve.

"We feel that we are the best team in the division, but it's the mental errors and whether we play as a team that will determine whether we do it," Johanssen said.

Peralta finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Barstow. Ulibarri went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Rodriguez was 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and three runs scored.

Lopez ended the game 2-for-4 with five runs scored and four stolen bases for Silverado. Nino was 3-for-3 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored, and Roxy Allen finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.